Ambassador Amir Hayek is a nonresident senior fellow in the N7 Initiative within the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. Hayek served as the first Israeli ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2021 to 2024, working to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries after formalizing relations under the Abraham Accords. Before his ambassadorship, Hayek held several prominent leadership positions in Israel’s public and private sectors, including serving as the director general of the Israel Export Institute, the director general of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the director general of the Israel Manufacturers Association, the president of the Israel Hotel Association, and the vice chairperson of the Israel Standards Institute. In addition to these roles, he has served as chief executive officer, president, and chairperson of various other public and private companies. Hayek attended the University of Tel Aviv, majoring in economics and accounting, and is a certified public accountant in Israel.